Bare Root Plants ship spring only. Cardinal Flower is named for its beautiful scarlet red flowers which are an important nectar source for hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies. Lobelias produce a secondary compound known as "lobeline," which deters herbivores. The flowering spikes open from the bottom to the top and bloom for several weeks. They grow best in moist, rich soils in full sun to partial shade. Cardinal flower is a showy plant great for the garden or wetland planting. Parent plants will not persist for more than a few years, but it is a prolific self-seeder and fast grower. As long as the tiny seeds can make soil contact, you will have a revolving colony of new red blooms each year. Its blossoms also make excellent cut flowers.

Fall potted plants (3-packs)
ship when all plants are well-rooted and transit-ready (Late
August – Early September)

Map Key

Present in state

Present in county; native to state

Not present in state

Present in county, adventive in state

This map shows the native and adventive range of this species. Given appropriate habitat and climate, native plants can be grown outside their range.

3 Questions asked on Lobelia cardinalis

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QJonnie • 08/04/2018 Does the cardinal flower produce more blooms in old flowers that are cut off as they finish blooming (ie deadhead)?

APrairie Moon • 08/06/2018 No, deadheading won't help Cardinal Flower produce more flowers for a longer bloom period. This is a native we would classify as a “short-lived perennial”. Parent plants don’t seem to persist more than a few years. It is a profuse self-seeder though, and a fairly fast grower, so you will get flowering plants in just a year or 2 once the parent plant drops seeds in the proper site conditions.

Qlisa • 08/14/2018 Why do you ship roots only in the spring?

APrairie Moon • 08/14/2018 Lobelia species (Cardinal Flower and Great Blue Lobelia) we've learned have a high rate of frost heave if Fall planted. Their roots are more shallow than most natives. We want you to be successful so we ship them in Spring (April-May) only now.

QBridget • 02/28/2019 Would Lobelia cardinalis survive submerged in a garden pond? I'd love any recommendations you might have for good natives that can tolerate partial submersion in a man-made pond! Thanks in advance for your help :)
-located in zone 5

APrairie Moon • 03/01/2019 Thanks for writing, Bridget. Lobelia cardinalis does prefer wetter soils, but it is not generally considered an emergent/aquatic species. For native plants that we carry that truly love their feet wet for an extended period, you can type emergent into the search box.

SEED:

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.

Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

BARE ROOTS:

We dig bare-root plants from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.

POTTED PLANTS:

Trays of 38 plants and 3-packs leave our Midwest greenhouse based on species readiness (well-rooted for transit) and based on order date; shipping begins early-May and goes into June. Plant cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting instructions/care are included with each order.

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to **MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges:

SEED
$100.00 and under: $5.00
over $100.00: 5% of the total seed cost

BARE ROOT and POTTED PLANTS
$50.00 and under: $7.50
over $50.00: 15% of the total plant cost

TOOLS and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the product (within the contiguous US).

**We are required to collect state sales tax in certain states. Your state's eligibility and % will be calculated at checkout. MN State Sales Tax of 7.375% is applied for orders picked up at our MN location. Shipping & handling charges are also subject to the sales tax.

Shipping Season:

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within a day or two upon receipt.

BARE ROOT PLANTS are shipped during optimal transplanting time: Spring (April-May) and Fall (Oct). Some ephemeral species are also available for summer shipping. Since our plants are field-grown, Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders, on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control.

POTTED PLANTS (Trays of 38 and 3-packs) typically begin shipping early May and go into June; shipping time is heavily dependent on all the species in your order being well-rooted. If winter-spring greenhouse growing conditions are favorable and all species are well-rooted at once, then we ship by order date (first come, first serve). We are a Midwest greenhouse, and due to the challenges of getting all the species in the Mix & Match and Pre-Designed Garden Kits transit-ready at the same time, we typically can't ship before early May. Earlier shipment requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

*We are unable to ship PLANTS (bare root or potted) outside the contiguous US or to CALIFORNIA due to regulations.

Delivery:

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee. UPS and Spee Dee are often used for expediting plant orders; they will not deliver to Post Office Box numbers, so please also include your street address if ordering plants. We send tracking numbers to your email address so please include it when you order.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.